I just finished packing dd's and ds's suitcases. We don't leave until Friday but if I don't do it now, they will wear what I want to bring and I would have to do laundry again-lol.
Basically I pack "outfits" for each day. Each outfit has shorts, shirt, underwear and socks. Then I have the "night" outfits cause my kids always get cold at night. I pack matching sweats and sweatshirts that go in the backpack each morning. When they start to get cold, we put on the sweatshirt and then later just pull the sweatpants over the shorts. Each child also gets a sun hat of some type that they will wear all day and sunglasses! Then I pack pjs and swimsuits. I also put some regular long pants in and a few spare shirts and extra shoes including a pair for the pool. They are all set! Having premade outfits works really well to get out the door quick in the morning and also assures that you have the right amount of clothing. Hint, if you are getting there late in the eve, pack the pjs on the top! Unpacking their clothes is simple too, I just pile the outfits in order where ever there is room. The top shelf in the closet is usually wasted space and is great for stacking the outfits.
Then I packed all the toiletries for the kids, our own soap, shampoo, and fingernail clippers, bandaides, bacitracin, tweezers for splinters and scissors. I always bring anything we might possible need including cold meds, tylenol, etc. because that stuff is really pricey and hard to find in DL if your kids like a certain brand. I think every single trip, one or the other kid has gotten some sickness and we've spent hours hunting for the "right" meds. Don't forget the sunscreen and put it on before you even get the kids dressed in the morning.
We are driving so I usually take an empty suitcase in the car for all their car stuff. Each has a DVD player in the car with movies and they want stuffed animals and snacks and pillows and sweatshirts.....it adds up to a big pile and when you pull into the hotel to check in, you don't want all the stuff loose when you have to turn it over to the bellman so we just unplug everything and put it in the empty suitcase and it keeps it all nice, clean and together. I also take along the wire that lets me hook up the dvd player to the tv in the hotel so we can watch our own movies!
Then I have a kitchen bag-OMG- I an obsessive packer-lol. I bring plastic bowls and forks and spoons and cups. I also bring one sharp knife for cutting apples, etc. and I hate soda so I bring a pitcher with iced tea mix and also all our coffee works. I bring fruit, packs of oatmeals, snacks and cereal and often the kids eat while we shower and dress in the morning. Usually I pack this stuff in a backpack that we use to take into the park with the warm clothes and snacks.
Finally, I pack another suitcase with "tinkerbell toys" that tink brings the kids each night while they sleep. When it is time to leave DL, that suitcase is empty and becomes the one to carry all the dirty clothes home. Any unused clothing and "new" stuff goes back in the other suitcases sorted by kid so when we get home, they go directly into their room and it is easy to unpack. Dh and I share a suitcase so we are really not bringing too much and it all fits easily in the car.
These are the things I forget a lot: hats, clippers, their ears!, their build-a-bear animals they want to buy new outfits for, and OMG, the camera-lol!
HTHs!